Something Unexpected
by Horch
Summary: AU. Finnick is alive. But when he goes back to Four to live with Annie, he is confronted by a new challenge - a challenge he has never faced before: parenthood.
1. Prologue: Survival

**Well, this is the prologue. Finally. I've spent a lot of time revising this, so I hope you like it. It's in 3rd person (obviously...) but the other chapters in this story (minus the epilogue, if there ever is one) will be in 1st person, alternating between Finnick's and Annie's POVs.**

**Please tell me what you think. ;)**

**And no, I do not accept flames. I accept concrits, but don't flame when you're supposed to be giving concrit. Thanks. :)**

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><p><em>"Argh!"<em>

_Finnick lay on the ground in a pool of blood. A lizard mutt pounced on him, prepared to bite him. Finnick was about to give up and allow the mutt to kill him when an idea came to him._

_Finnick kicked the mutt feebly. It wasn't much but for a few seconds, it was distracted. But a few seconds was enough for Finnick. He quickly opened the tiny compartment in his suit and took out the poisonous pill given to him back in District Thirteen._

_As the mutt opened his mouth to bite him again, Finnick shoved the pill inside the mutt's mouth._

_The mutt staggered back and collapsed on the floor beside Finnick._

_With all his strength (which wasn't much), Finnick stood up and started to limp away from the mutts. He winced. His legs felt like they were on fire, but Finnick kept going. By the time he was a hundred feet away, the mutts, sensing a disturbance, began to chase him._

_Finnick muttered a string of curses. He tried to walk a little more, but he ended up stumbling and crashing against the wall. Finnick did not dare move. The world swirled around him strangely, and his body was full of mutt bites. Anticipating the worst, Finnick found himself mumbling a prayer._

_That was when everything exploded into bits of light._

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><p><em>Finnick woke up feeling comfortable. He tried to sit up. As he looked at his surroundings, he saw that he was in a hospital. "I'm alive," Finnick said softly. A nurse walked toward him. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a bun, and her gray eyes stared at him sternly.<em>

_"Of course you're alive," she said. "Don't try to talk. Your—"_

_"How long was I out?" Finnick asked, ignoring the nurse. He looked at her nametag. Her name, according to the nametag, was Bridget._

_"You have been in a coma for three and a half weeks," Bridget replied._

_"I have… to go home," Finnick said._

_"Oh? And where is this 'home' you're talking about?" Bridget asked smugly. She had a proud look on her face. Finnick decided he did not like this nurse. "District Thirteen is a long way from here, Mr. Odair, and we don't have the resources to bring you there. District Four is in chaos. And even if it weren't, under no circumstances are you allowed to exit the hospital."_

_Finnick scowled. She had a point. "I'm okay. Really." He grimaced. His legs hurt like hell._

_"Apparently not," he thought he heard Bridget mutter._

_"So… how did I get here?" Finnick asked, trying to sound casual. He was about to ask another question when suddenly, a man who looked like a male version of Bridget came into the room, followed closely by a woman who reminded him of Annie._

_"I'll let them explain," Bridget said. "This is my brother Simon, and this is…" She raised her eyebrow at the woman._

_Finnick studied the woman's face. She had high cheek bones, piercing blue eyes, and wavy black hair which cascaded down her shoulders. "And this is his girlfriend, Desdemona," Bridget finished._

_Simon placed his hand on top of Desdemona's. "Simon says hello," Desdemona said in a strange accent. She was surely from District Five. "Simon cannot speak. He is an Avox," she continued sadly, squeezing Simon's hand._

_"How'd you…? Why…?" Finnick started, but thought better of it. "The Avoxes were put into some kind of Capitol prison, weren't they?"_

_"That's right. When the arena exploded," Desdemona replied, "everything was in chaos. Soon after that, the Capitol captured all of the Avoxes—every single one of them. When the guards tried to capture Simon, he took their guns, shot them, and escaped. Then he hid underground for a while."_

_Finnick could see Simon's fingers tapping on Desdemona's palm as she told his story. "One day, when he was roaming around underground, he heard an explosion in one of the nearby tunnels. He went to check it out, but he found you instead. Simon carried you to the place where he was living in, and after performing first aid, he brought you here."_

_A tense silence filled the air for a few minutes. Bridget used that time to leave the room._

_Finnick broke the silence. He turned to the Avox and said sincerely, "Thanks for saving my life."_


	2. 1: Surprise, Surprise

**Sorry! Really late update. I hope you like this chapter!** **Thank you so much for all the wonderful feedback. :)****  
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**Now, without further ado, chapter one.  
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***Edited* I know I'm supposed to be on hiatus/vacation, but I couldn't resist.  
>By the way, I'd love to know what you think about this chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated.<strong>

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><p>She stands in the doorway. With her wavy dark hair that would get tangled every time she swam, and those breathtaking, almost hypnotic green eyes, it seems impossible for me not to recognize her. But that's the thing.<p>

This woman is not the woman I married. How can she be my Annie?

_What have they done to her?_

At the sight of me, her eyes go wide. "Finnick? I… I must be dreaming…" she mutters. I look at her face, expecting to see that gentle expression she always wears. But instead, I see sorrow, trapped in those huge eye-bags.

"Annie," is all I can say. Just that word. _Annie. _She flinches, and for a second, I'm afraid that she thinks she's dreaming. "You're not—" But before I could finish, she reaches out and hugs me tightly.

"Dreaming," she whispers into my ear. "I've missed you so much, Finnick." Her voice, saying my name, sends shivers down my spine. The good kind, though. Not the holy-crap-a-mutt-is-heading-towards-us kind.

I hug her back. "You don't know how much I've missed _you. _I couldn't stop thinking about you." And that was true.

"T-they told me that…" Her voice is sad. "They said that…" I can hear the words dying in her throat as she struggles to finish her sentence.

"Shh," I say softly. "Don't worry." Like I'm one to talk. If I haven't stopped thinking about Annie, then I haven't stopped worrying about her either, because those nightmares that had plagued her years ago still torment her today. "They're _wrong, _Annie. I'm right here. Alive."_  
><em>

"I know." I can hear the smile in her voice, but there's something else…

Suddenly, I hear a voice in my head. _She's trying not to cry for your sake. _It's hard to place it, but the voice is familiar. Then it hits me—loud and clear, in the form of a memory. I'm back in the arena, trying to get out of the fog while carrying Peeta. Katniss is behind me, trying to carry…

Mags.

It was Mags's voice.

"What's wrong, Finnick?" Those three words bring me back to reality. Annie is staring at me, clearly concerned. "Is something…?" I shake my head. She pulls away a little and rests her head on my chest. I feel a jolt—the same one I felt the first time we kissed.

"No, it's nothing." _Nothing she should be worrying about._ "I love you."

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><p><em>Just after the 72nd Hunger<em> _Games  
><em>  
><em>"Do you have nightmares too?" Annie asked, not looking at me in the eye. We were in a secluded cave—a cave I hadn't even known about until yesterday—so we were sure we weren't being watched. At least, I was.<em>

_I swallowed. "Yes." Annie instinctively slipped her hand over mine, a silent gesture. "Sort of." I paused. Annie stroked my hand._ It's okay, you can tell me everything_. "I go to bed, trying to summon up the courage to face them. My demons. I run, as far as I can, towards the ocean. But just when I thought I escaped them…" _

_"Finnick…" Annie leans her head on my shoulder. "I…"_

_"The ocean, the memories… they swallow me whole, and no matter how hard I fight, I always end up drowning." My voice broke, and a tear rolls down my cheek. Annie presses her lips to my cheek and kisses away its trail._

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><p>That moment replays itself in my mind as I walk in and see Annie sitting on the bed, her arms folded on her lap. "What's wrong?" I ask, brushing away a few strands of hair from her face. Annie bites her lip, then shakes her head.<p>

"Nothing, really. It's just that… I've been feeling… sick. It's weird, really."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" she replies. "I don't know why, but it's like what I said—" Suddenly, she leans forward, her arms clutching her stomach. "Finnick—" Annie scrambles towards the bathroom and stands above the toilet. I feel helpless; the only thing I can do is pull back her hair as she throws up.

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><p>"So what is it?" I ask the doctor when he comes in. "What's wrong with her?"<p>

"Good morning, Mr. Odair," he says. "I see you're alive and well."

I am irritated now. How can he say 'I see you're alive and well,' when someone else—Annie—soon may not be alive and well? It seems impossible for me to _not _curse at him, but somehow, I manage it. "Never mind that. What's wrong with Annie?" I ask.

"Nothing," he replies calmly. "After reading the results of the tests she took, I can say that she's perfectly healthy."

"So why is she…?" I ask just as Annie comes in and sits down on the chair beside mine. Her eyes are filled with fear. I take her hand and squeeze it, though it's clammy. _Everything's going to be okay, Annie. Just hang on. _

"According to the results," he says, "Annie's pregnant. Congratulations." He smiles at me.

_What?_


	3. 2: I Am Fear

**Sorry for the late update. It's been, what, a month? Maybe more. Definitely more. I'll try to update as much as I can over the next few days because school is starting in a few weeks. Time flies so fast!**

**Please review! I'd love to know what you think. :)**

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><p>It's been three weeks since we found out that we were going to be parents.<p>

"Finnick," I whisper. "Finnick, are you awake?" I roll over to his side of the bed to find my husband staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Why are you awake?" he replies. "You should be sleeping." He turns to me and strokes my cheek with his thumb.

"I can't sleep," I say. "Finnick." He kisses me, right on the lips. I can feel my heart melting. "I'm scared." My palms rub my flat abdomen, the delicate shield between the cruel world and this innocent, beautiful baby. "I'm scared I might not be good enough for our baby."

Instead of correcting me or hushing me, Finnick tips his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I'm scared that I might wake up screaming," I say, "and scar our baby for life." I can picture my baby, my perfect baby, knocking on the door in the middle of the night, asking why Mommy was screaming. "I don't want our baby to grow up and remember his childhood as a childhood punctuated by fear. My fear."

The thought of it is way too much for me to bear.

"I'm scared that when I die, he'd remember me as a messed up mom, as a mom who was never quite strong enough to pull herself together in front of her own son." Tears pool in my eyes as it sinks in. Finnick doesn't look surprised. But me? I'm shocked at my own revelation.

"Annie," Finnick says. "That's why you have to be strong. For our baby. For me. For our future family." He kisses me, on my forehead this time. I can feel myself turning warm. Not because of the kiss, but because of something _in _the kiss. Love. Loyalty. Promises.

_Hope._

"And besides," Finnick says. "I think you'll be a wonderful mom." As if reading my thoughts, he adds, "I can tell. You already love the baby. Our baby. And love is what it takes." He takes my hand. "It'll bring us through all this."

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><p>I walk into the kitchen to see Finnick combing through the pantry. "Did you sleep well last night?" I ask him.<p>

"I guess," he replies casually. But he's lying through his teeth; I can feel it. He just doesn't want to worry me. Typical Finnick—always thinking about me before thinking about himself. It's really sweet of him, though there are some times that it can be infuriating. Like now.

I watch as Finnick sits down and pours himself a bowl of cereal, a good you can rarely find in Four. "You can tell me, you know," I say.

He pauses. "No. It's nothing to be worried about." He stares down at his bowl of cereal.

"Finnick, it's six in the morning. It's way too early to lie." That's not exactly true, though. But I'm in no mood for any lying. I smile. "And besides, I thought you said love is what it takes to bring us through all that. It's time for me to help you."

Finnick looks up, and I see eye bags under his sea-green eyes. "I didn't sleep at all last night."

I sit down on the seat beside him. "Tell me about it."

"I should have told you sooner." His voice shakes. "I don't think I'm ready to be a father." I raise my eyebrow. Finnick? Not ready to be a father? So… what does this mean? Does this mean that he doesn't want the baby, our baby, the physical representation of our love? Just the possibility brings tears to my eyes.

He sees the look on my face. "It's not that I don't want the baby, Annie. I do. Dammit, screw that. I want our baby more than anything. It's just that… I don't think I'm ready for it. For everything. And I'm scared that because of this, I'd be a terrible dad."

I take his hand, just as he did the night before. "Finnick…" I swallow. What do I say? I can't say that it'll be okay, though I want to say it. I can't say that I don't want this baby, because I do. I really, really do. And I certainly can't say that I'm not ready to be a mother, even though to be honest, I really _am _not ready. But I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that I will be when this baby comes.

"Finnick," I say. "I'm scared, too. But why should we be? This baby is unexpected, but… whether we like it or not, he'll come and change our lives. That's what miracles do."

A smile that plays on Finnick's lips tells me that my words have sunk in. "You said 'he.' How do you know for sure it's a boy?"

Okay, the pronoun was a complete accident. But I decide to play along with him. I gesture to my abdomen and shrug. "I just have a feeling. You know, the baby tells me stuff." I try my best not to giggle, but I fail and give myself away. But Finnick pretends not to notice.

"A feeling? Well, what if it's a she?" Finnick says. "I sure hope it's a she."

"If it's a she, well… then it's a she. That doesn't mean I'll love her any less, does it?" I grin. Finnick kisses me. "I love you," I tell him.

"I love you, too. And I love the baby. Our baby."


	4. 3: Baby Names

**I haven't updated in forever... sorry. Life and school and everything else got in the way. So did fandom.** **Homestuck and Tumblr became a huge part of my free time. ****So I decided to do some writing, because I desperately need to stop telling people that I write in my free time; it isn't always true.**

**Okay so I come back to see that everything freaking CHANGED *gasps in amazement*  
>LOOK AT THAT FANFICTION COUNT FOR THE HUNGER GAMES CATEGORY.<strong>

**Welp, hope you like it. Please review! It's kind of a crappy chapter, though. Sorry.**

**Better start making a cover for this story...**

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><p>"Finnick Jr.," Annie says, smiling.<p>

"Finnick Jr.?" I can't imagine naming a kid, _my _kid after myself. And besides, what if it's a girl? "Don't you think it'd be confusing? I mean, you could say, 'FINNICK ODAIR, YOU COME RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW' and we wouldn't know who'd be screwed."

Annie giggles. "Finn then."

"I'm not too picky about names, but this whole hey-if-our-baby's-a-boy-I'm-going-to-name-him-after-you-Finnick thing is kind of… over the top, I guess?" I say to her. I see the look on her face and I almost regret saying what I did just now. Almost. "I suppose it's because I don't want to look at my kid and see myself. I want to see _us. _You and me, Annie. Me and you."

She looks at her lap. "I understand."

"I don't want him… or her… to live in our shadow. In my shadow, especially. Or in anyone's shadow. I don't want our kid to go to school and have his teachers and classmates expect him or her to be a mini-me, or a mini-you, or a mini-anyone who died in the war. I want our kid to be his own person."

"Or her," Annie corrects me.

"Or her." I reach for Annie's hand. It's soft, like silk. "If it's a boy, I'm going to name him… Simon."

"But didn't you just say that you wanted our baby to be his or her own person?" Annie looks at me, confused. I resist the urge to sigh. How do I even explain this without contradicting myself?

"Well, Simon is different… in a way…" I struggle for words, not because I'm nervous, but because I have nothing to say. Annie raises her eyebrow and grins at me. She knows I'm bluffing. "It means 'the one who saves,'" I blurt out. Annie giggles.

"No. I know for a fact that it doesn't." She points at the baby name book, which she went out to buy a few days ago. "I've been poring through that book. Simon means 'he who has heard,' or something like that. It's an ancient name; it existed way before the apocalypse."

Annie says that word like it's nothing. I guess it's because she's so used to the idea. I don't know why, but the word 'apocalypse' sends a shiver down my spine.

"Do they know about the baby?" Annie asks me suddenly.

"I don't know. Who's 'they'?"

"You know." Annie brushes away a stray curl. "They. Katniss, Peeta, Johanna, Beetee. Gale."

"Oh… no, they don't." I haven't spoken to any of them since the day I supposedly 'died.' Guess I should let them know. "So how do you want to tell them? Send a card? '_We're having our first baby and it's going to be really wonderful, oh and by the way Finnick's alive…'" _I wait for Annie to giggle, as she does every time I make a joke, no matter how lame. But she doesn't.

Annie rubs her abdomen. She isn't too far along yet, but she's starting to show signs, if you know what I mean. It's not very noticeable, but you should give me some credit here. I should know, and I do; it's like a seventh sense. My sixth sense, by the way, is most probably cheating death. I've survived the Games twice and I was almost eaten by a lizard of some sort. Go figure.

"I don't think it should be that way," Annie says seriously. She looks up at me, her eyes hued with the shade of solemnity. "It isn't very nice, if you ask me. Would _you _like to receive a card in the mail that says that?"

"Not really, but well, it'd be nice to receive a card in the mail that says that nobody ever died and this was just some terrible dream that I could wake up from."

"That would be nice, come to think of it." Annie grins. "It'd be nice to just go back to the time before all this happened. But you know, to be honest, I don't think I'd wish for it anyway."

"Why not? It seems great to me."

Annie gets on her knees and crawls over to my side of the bed. I get up, too, to meet her. She smiles at me; her lips are chapped, I notice. I reach out to take her into my arms, but she beats me to it. "Because, Finnick," she says.

I pull away a bit, to kiss her. She tastes of strawberries, of salt and water. Another taste I can't name. I search my mind for the right word, the right phrase.

"If the Games didn't happen, I wouldn't have you."

_Hope. Love, joy. Sweet promises, even sweeter dreams. That this time, nothing will go wrong. _

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><p>When I come into the room, Annie is fast asleep with one hand on our baby and the other curled around a piece of paper.<p>

Carefully, I free the piece of paper. Annie murmurs a bit; she's always been a light sleeper.

I unfold it, trying not to rip it apart in frustration. It's a list, most probably a list of baby names. But instead, different words jump out at me. Annie goes to the hospital quite often, for therapy; for all I know, this could be a part of it.

_I'm scared of losing my home, myself. Finnick, this baby._

_I'm scared of losing everything._


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